Amateur-built DISCOVERY S-12 accident near Salinas, California, June 18, 1994
On June 18, 1994 at about 11:04 pm local time, a amateur-built DISCOVERY S-12, registered N999, was destroyed in an accident near Salinas, California (Salinas Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE MUFFLER ASSEMBLY DUE TO PREEXISTING CRACKING IN THE OXIDIZED AREA OF THE WELD, WITH SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE AND SEPARATION OF THE PROPELLER AND REDUCTION GEAR BOX. A RELATED FACTOR WAS THE EXCESSIVE TAXISPEED WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE BECOMING INADVERTENTLY AIRBORNE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 1994 · about 11:04 pm local time
- Place
- Salinas, California · Salinas Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DISCOVERY S-12 DISCOVERY
- Registration
- N999 · registry record · serial PAD0003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT DISCOVERY S-12 AIRAILE INADVERTENTLY BECAME AIRBORNE DURING HIGH-SPEED TAXI TESTS. THE MECHANIC CONDUCTING THE TAXI TESTS WAS NOT A CERTIFICATED PILOT. HE CONTACTED THE TOWER AND INFORMED THEM OF HIS SUPRISE FLIGHT. WITHIN MOMENTS THE ENGINE FAILED, AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A NEARBY FIELD. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A STANDPIPE. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PROPELLER, MUFFLER, AND REDUCTION GEARBOX HAD SEPARATED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE STANDPIPE. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE MUFFLER FRACTURED AT A FACTORY WELD; THE FRACTURE EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF OXIDATION. THE MUFFLER THEN SEPARATED AS A RESULT OF NORMAL VIBRATION DURING OPERATION OF THE ENGINE. THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED AFTER THE MUFFLER STRUCK IT. THE DAMAGED PROPELLER WAS THEN OUT OF BALANCE, RESULTING IN THE REDUCTION GEARBOX SEPARATING FROM THE ENGINE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 40 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mazda RX7 ROTARY (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SNS at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,825 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from SNS, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX94LA259.